Motivational_Theories

Motivational Theories Linda M. Britt MGM335-1104B-01 Organizational Behavior Principles Colorado Technical University Instructor: Professor Drian Glyde November 28, 2011 Motivational Theories There are many different types of motivational theories in which to choose from. As a student at Colorado Technical University I have chosen the following three theories; Goal-Setting Theory by Edwin Locke, Need Hierarchy Theory by Abraham Marshal and the Equity Theory of J. Stacey Adams. Within each of these motivational theories I will discuss the history, foundation, model, and application as well as the strong points as well as the weaknesses of these three theories. I will also go one step further and discuss the alternatives and plans that an organization can use to apply these theories in which to motivate employees. As a closing I will pick one theory in which to implement, and develop specific methods that can be implemented, along with my rationale as to why this motivational theory should be implemented and the design that I would use. In 1943 a psychologist by the name of Abraham Maslow first established his psychology theory, the hierarchy of needs which is used frequently in the business world. This chain of command type of pyramid implies that people are inspired to accomplish more important needs before moving on to other needs (Cherry, 2011). Maslow's hierarchy of needs is mostly shown as a pyramid with the lowest levels being that of basic needs and the top being that of more complex needs His theory is used in many different ways in the business world today especially when it comes to dealing with people. For example, many human resource offices use his theory when developing employment plans, marketing uses his ideas when it comes to advertising, promotion and sales uses it in order to find out what is behind a customer's motivation for buying (MBA Online Program, 2003-2011). In the 1960s Dr. Edwin Locke goal setting theory, later known as SMART goal setting was enacted. He felt that employees were motivated by clear goals and proper feedback. Locke also felt that by working hard toward a goal provided a major source of motivation in which to actually reach the goal, which in turn improved an individual's performance. In the 1990s, Locke with the help of his protégée Dr. Gary Latham came up with five principles of goal setting which were clearly outlined in their book "A Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance (Mind Tools, 1996-2011) . In order to motivate goals must have: * Clarity * Challenge * Commitment * Feedback * Task Complexity Locke's goal setting theory is used in many different ways in companies today. By having what is referred to as SMART goals a company can assume that the goals of their company will be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound, if these are implemented in the correct way, a company will be well on their way to accomplishing the goals that they set out to accomplish in the first place. The expectancy theory states that individuals all have a different set of goals and each can be motivated if they have certain expectations. This theory in itself is about choice, and the process involved in making those choices. This theory was first proposed by Victor Vroom of the Yale School of Management. The main focus of Vroom's Expectancy Theory is that an employee's motivation to complete a task is influenced by their personal views regarding; the likelihood of completing the task and the outcome or result of completing the task (Learn Management2.com, n.d.) . As Victor Vroom so amply puts it, employees are the backbone of every company and are among one of the most important possessions in any company. Putting a variety of people together to accomplish goals is a challenge in itself.. As a company continues to grow so does the difficulty of the management staff. Companies need goal success in order to be successful. By companies finding ways in which to induce employees to contribute to the goals of the company they will be able to achieve the results that they set out to achieve. Having a happy workforce in lieu of incentives etc. is a way in which to obtain that goal. As per the diagram below, attitudes trigger behavior, etc., if an employee has a bad attitude this will trigger behavior in others. The Need Hierarchy Theories strength is that every individual has the need to be satisfied, some of those needs are more powerful than others. Until these needs are satisfied, other needs will have little or no effect on an individual's behavior. Another way of putting this is that we fulfill the needs that mean the most and then the others come after. When we don't fulfill our most urgent need we find ourselves being placed in a situation where our behavior and attitudes are jeopardized (like a bad mood), this would be considered as one of the weaknesses of this theory. As with the Goal Setting Theory of Edwin Locke, the strengths of this theory is that of SMART. Setting goals is a way for your company to not only make money but to make long range plans. By not having goals in place . If you have no goals either as an individual or as a company, then you lose sight of your companies main objective When it comes to the expectancy theory a company has to base the strengths from attitudes of the workforce itself. If you have a workforce that is happy with the goals that have been set and that they are achievable, then they will go above and beyond to hit the goals set forth. However, if you have a workforce that feels that the only goal is make money and nothing else then of course this becomes a weakness. Some of the options and strategies an organization can use to apply motivational theories to motivating employees comes down to the manager or management staff. The manager's job is to get things done thru the employees. In order to do this the manager of course needs to motivate his/her employees. As the saying goes you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink, this is also true of options that are used to motivate your employees. Does incentives play a major factor in motivating employees' Yes, it most certainly does, the bigger the incentive the more your employees are willing to do. No matter what type of theory is being used, the strategies listed below can be used by all. There are seven strategies that can be used for motivation (Accel Team Development, 2011: * Positive reinforcement / high expectations * Effective discipline and punishment * Treating people fairly * Satisfying employees needs * Setting work related goals * Restructuring jobs * Base rewards on job performance One theory that I would definitely implement if I were the manager of a company would be that of the SMART Goal Setting Theory of Locke. Because, SMART goals are one of the single most powerful motivational tools used today. Why you ask' Because goal setting operates in ways that provide a purpose, challenge, and meaning. Goals at the same time are guideposts, that make a far off vision come alive and achievable. Goals at the same time energize people into doing a better job for their employers. In order to implement or design some specific goal setting I would do the following which is what SMART stands for in the first place (Schop, 2009) : * Specific - Know what your company or you as an individual want to accomplish in life (such as I will graduate with honors). * Measurable - Knowing that you can assess your companies progress over time as well as those goals you set for yourself (like I want to be successful, this company wants to make $1,000.000.00 within the next two years). * Attainable - That the goals that your company and those that you make for yourself will be easy to achieve (I want to own my own business or that the $1,000,000.00 that I set out to make will and can be reached). * Relevant - Goals need to run parallel with each other (these goals are those that are simply instruments to accomplishing one's mission / purpose in life. * Time-Sensitive - All goals need to have deadlines (this can be seen as a SMART Goals - I will do it now or that of a Vague Goal - I will do it later). In conclusion, there are many theories that can be seen as motivational. However, if you stop and think about it they are all in an essence the same, it is just the way in which they are written which makes them different. We as individuals all have things that motivate us into doing our best. The same goes for companies, they want the best employees that they can have, maybe that is why incentives are a major issue when it comes to individuals finding jobs today. Motivation is what gets us up in the morning and makes us go to bed at night. It is up to us as individuals and companies alike to decide what motivational factors that we want and goals to get us to do the things we do. Questions will always come to mind with this scenario; do I want to be where I am in 10 years from now' Do I want to own a bigger house' and last but not least do I want money in the bank for retirement' These are just a few things to consider when it comes to motivation and contemplating your future. References Accel Team Development 2011 Theory and practiceAccel Team Development (2011). Theory and practice. Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/index.html Cherry K 2011 Hierarchy of needsCherry, K. (2011). Hierarchy of needs. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierachyneed.html Learn Management2com n.d. Focus of Vroom's Expectancy TheoryLearn Management2.com (n.d.). Focus of Vroom's Expectancy Theory. Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.learnmanagement2.com/vroom2.htm MBAOnlineProgram 2003-2011 Maslow's hierarchy of needs and business strategyMBA Online Program (2003-2011). Maslow's hierarchy of needs and business strategy. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http://www.mba-online-program.com/maslow%E2%80%99s/hierarchy-of-needs-business-strategy Mind Tools 1996-2011 Locke's goal setting theoryMind Tools (1996-2011). Locke's goal setting theory. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_87.htm Schop C 20090727 SMART goal examples - how do you make goals smart'Schop, C. (2009, July 27). SMART goal examples - how do you make goals smart' Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.selfmademiracle.com/smartgoals/examples-of-smart-goals/how_do_you_make_smart_goals_smart