Theories Of Motivation For Discussion Purposes - 938 Words

Principles of Management assignment – BMG119 Q. Reflect on a situation where someone in a position of authority motivated you and compare this with a situation where an authority figure demotivated you. Use early and contemporary theories of motivation for discussion purposes. Introduction The term motivation refers to two different ideas. Motivation is an internal state that leads to the fulfilment of objectives. Personal motivation affects the direction, depth, and persistence of effort. From a manager’s point of view, motivation is the process of getting people to fulfil objectives. Both concepts have an important meaning in common. Motivation is the expenditure of effort to accomplish results. The effort results from a force that†¦show more content†¦Maslow has set up a hierarchy of five levels of basic needs. After these needs are satisfied, higher levels of needs are present. These include needs for understanding, appreciation and purely spiritual needs. In the hierarchy of the five basic needs, the person does not feel the second need until the demands of the first have been fulfilled or the third until the second has been fulfilled and so on. Maslow s basic needs are as follows: physiological needs, needs for safety, needs for love, affection an d belongingness, needs for esteem and needs for self-actualization (Simmons et al, 1987). As you move up the hierarchy, the needs become more difficult to fulfill. Some physiological needs could be satisfied with pizza and a drink, whereas it might take becoming rich and famous to achieve the self-actualization need (DuBrin, 2009 p. 376). DuBrin (2009, p. 376) describes physiological needs as basic requirements such as nutrition, water, shelter, room temperature, rest and sleep. Most office jobs allow us to achieve physiological needs. He then goes on to describe safety needs as the need to be safe from both physical and emotional danger. Many workers who have dangerous jobs would be motivated by the thought of obtaining safety. Any stressful job can discourage the need for emotional safety. Social needs are described as needs for love and belonging with people. Managers can help contribute to the satisfaction of these needs by encouraging team work and as well as