Motivation Motivation as defined by many refers to the forces either within or external to a person that arouse enthusiasm and

persistence to pursue a certain course of action. Generally, in any undertaking whether it is a new activity, a new job or business, people usually start those ventures with energy and passion. But these drives are not permanent. In time these desires may be lost if these people will not be properly motivated or if there are no other things that will keep them motivated. In turn this may somehow lead to them performing poorly or may even lead to their failure. These statements are also supported by Richard Daft in the New Era of Management. According to his book, one secret for a success in an organization are motivated and engaged employees. People are more likely to be engaged when they do things they really like or prefer. The article entitled Employee Motivation: Theory and Practice states that to fully comprehend motivation, one must first understand human nature itself. It further explains that human nature can be very simple, yet be very complex at the same time. A deep understanding and appreciation of this is a prerequisite to effective employee motivation in the workplace that will eventually promote effective management and leadership. Individuals alike are motivated to perform but each person has also a different reason/s as to why they perform. It is a matter of finding the right way on how to motivate employees toward common organization goals.

Motivation Theorists and their Theories Many management theories had evolved from the process

management which is as old as history to the twentieth century phenomenon of scientific management. The following theories to be discussed are some of the pertinent theories bearing on human motivation and this is balanced by some of the practical factors which can lead to excellence. Traditional Theory X Theory X can be best ascribed to Sigmund Freud who was no lover of people and far from being optimistic. Theory X assumes that people are lazy; they hate work to the extent that they avoid it. They have no ambition; take no initiative and avoid taking any responsibility; all they want is security, and to get them to do any work, they must be rewarded, coerced, intimidated and punished. This is the so called stick-and-carrot philosophy of management. The stick approach refers to the punishment in which it appears to produce a negative result rather than a positive one. This method promotes and tends to increase the hostility between the management and the workers. In contrast to this, the carrot approach involves approval, praise and recognition of effort. This approach has markedly improved the work atmosphere, leading to more productive work places and giving workers greater job satisfaction. To combine, one has to be punished first in receipt of a reward. This kind of approach will create an oppressive and frustrating atmosphere on employees as well as to the manager. The manager will constantly monitor the employee whom they cannot trust and who will refuse to cooperate. In this kind of working environment, there is no possibility of any achievement or any

creative work. (www.accel-team.com/motivation. Employee Motivation: Theory and

Practice)

Theory Y Douglas McGregor Contrary to theory X, Douglas McGregor believed that people want to learn and that work is their natural activity to the extent that they already developed self-discipline and self-development. This people see the rewards of their efforts not in the form of cash or payments. They are fulfilled just by having the freedom on taking on or doing difficult and complex works by themselves. Under this theory, the duty of a manager is to unite the desire of each employees self-development into the organizations goal. McGregors theory has been criticized as soft and slack and for most, it sounds as too good to be true. However, his premise already proved its worth and effectiveness in many organizations around the globe. (www.accelteam.com/motivation. Employee Motivation: Theory and Practice)

Theory Z Abraham Maslow This is commonly known also as Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. The theory proposes that people are motivated by multiple needs and these wishes exist in hierarchical order. Maslow developed the basic human needs that according to his principle should be fulfilled in sequence from the lowest to the highest needs such as physiological, safety, belongingness or love, esteem and self actualization needs. The concept of his theory is that when one need is satisfied, an individual will aspire for the next higher one. With each need on the order being realized and with the process being perfected,

perfection through self-development will be attained as well. (Daft, R.L. New Era
of Management Concepts and Applications. Philippine Ed.)

Hygiene / Motivation Theory - Frederick Herzberg This is also called as Two-Factor Theory which states that people work first and foremost for their own self-enlightened interest, for they are truly happy and mentally healthy through work accomplishment. Herzbergs theory has a direct link to Maslows theory. Providing hygiene factors will eliminate employee dissatisfaction but will not motivate workers to high achievement levels. This involves the presence or absence of job dissatifiers such as working conditions, pay, company policies and interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, recognition, challenge and opportunities for personal growth are powerful motivators and will promote high satisfaction and performance. The managers role is to remove the dissatisfiers by providing hygiene factors sufficient to meet the basic needs and then to use motivators to meet higher level needs and propel employees toward greater achievement and satisfaction. (Daft, R.L. New Era of Management Concepts and Applications. Philippine
Ed.)

Chris Argyris According to Argyris, an organization needs to be redesigned for a fuller utilization of the most precious resource, the workers, in particular their psychological energy. The decisions will be taken by the small groups rather by the single boss. Satisfaction in work will be more valued than material things. Work should be restructured in order to enable individuals to develop to the fullest extent. At the same time, work will become meaningful and

challenging through self-motivation. (www.accel-team.com/motivation. Employee

Motivation: Theory and Practice)

Rensis Likert Likert identified the four styles of management. The leader under the exploitative-authoritative system shows a low concern for people and uses such methods as threats and other fear-based methods to achieve conformance. The leader of benevolent-authoritative management adds concern for people to an authoritative position. Consultative system leader makes genuine efforts to listen carefully to ideas but major decisions are still largely centrally made. The participative system was found to be the most effective because under this type of management, subordinates are allowed to be involved in the decision making. There is a free flow of communication and interaction between and leader/s and his constituents that results in achieving high targets and excellent productivity. (Maniam, R. Leadership Styles
Practice Effective Leadership. 20 Feb 2007)

Fred Luthans Fred Luthans gave emphasis on employees state of morale in order to gauge their productivity and effectiveness individually and as a group. Morale is defined as the satisfaction level of employees in relation to their workplace. It is how employees see their jobs, their attitudes to their work environment, and their honest cooperation toward the progress of the entire company. Morale also indicates the happiness level of employees within a company. It is also a condition in which long-term company goals are merged with individualized goals. Morale and productivity are directly proportional, that is, if

morale

is

high,

productivity

is

also

high.

According to line C, it is also likely that productivity can increase despite having a low morale. This can be done by using stiff management principles with the likes of close supervision and strict discipline. This type of people management doesn't work in the long run and may suddenly collapse due to stiff guidelines being implemented that may result to further aggravating the grievances of the employees. According to line A, morale is high but productivity is low due to weak management and planning. A good manager should aim for a line B, where morale is high and productivity is also high. Line B represents the best management technique and works in the long run.
(http://www.rahulgladwin.com/noteblog/business/OB/definition-of-morale.php)

Expectancy Theory Victor Vroom The concept of Vrooms theory is that the leadership style should be tailored to the particular situation and to the particular group or individual. This further explains that for individuals, they should be rewarded with what he or she expects rather than what the manager perceives. Personal preference of an employee is given a big consideration and importance. As mentioned previously, each individual is motivated to perform but also each person has different reasons as to why they are driven in performing. In some cases, an individual may value promotion rather than increase in his/her salary while for some may see it the other way around. By explaining how ones personal goals can influence performance, expectancy theory gives an idea to the study of employee motivation. (www.accel-team.com/motivation. Employee Motivation:
Theory and Practice)

Conclusion:

Based on the different theories presented, it is evident that monetary aspects such as salary or incentives in particular, is not the primary factor in the issue of encouraging employees to become more productive. Instead, most individuals are driven to be recognized, to be involved and determined to achieve harmony within their working environment. Although it has been proven time and again that money can affect ones motivation, such of a factor is not enough. And though it can contribute to the cause, this should not be regarded as the main focus to motivate individuals. As such, it is best for leaders to understand everyones need/s in order for them to come up with ideas that will motivate their employees into achieving their personal and the companys goals as well.