COURSE 6

Objectives: - Ss will be able to understand the importance of HR motivation - Ss will be able to use different motivational theories - Ss will be able to present their own motivational systems

HR Motivation: Motivational Theories

Maslows needs pyramid Alderfers motivational theory Herzbergs motivational theory David McClelland s motivational theory Vrooms expectancy theories Edgar Scheins behavioural analysis
Seminary: CASE STUDY NO. 6

Defining motivation
Gerald A. Cole: Motivation is the process defining peoples choice among different behavioural alternatives in order to fulfil personal objectives. These objectives can be relatively tangible, such as: promotion and material rewards, or intangible, such as: self-respect or work satisfaction. In general, available rewards for individuals are classified into intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards derive from the individual's own experience, whereas extrinsic rewards are those offered by another person. Intrinsic rewards: self-respect, own development Extrinsic rewards: wage increase, professional promotion Thus, managers must find the best way to connect individual motivation and effective performance such as the individual and organisational objectives to be harmonized.

Stimulus

Behaviour

Aimed Objective/Finality

What stimulus ended in the observed behaviour? What type of stimulus influenced? Which was the answer to that stimulus? Why was such particular behaviour chosen? What objective did the individual seem to fulfil? Why did the individual choose that objective? How efficient was that behaviour? How adequate as the objective?

Maslows Pyramid
Abraham Maslow [1954] considered that human needs are levelled starting with basic needs as the physiological ones and ending with superior needs, as the self-development and selfactualization. Maslow considers as necessary to meet inferior needs before the superior needs . In the 80s, Hofstede criticised this needs pyramid as considering that it is highly culturally determined, stating that it was true only for the American culture of the 50s.

Clayton Alderfer [1972], starting with Maslows ideas, proposed the so-called theory of ERG. This model claims that human needs are linearly disposed, and not levelled, and there are not five groups of needs, but three: Existence, Relatedness and Growth. Existence needs correspond to inferior levels of Maslows pyramid, Relatedness needs and Growth Needs correspond to the superior levels. This model allows to individuals to consider two groups of needs in the same time, whereas it makes a clear distinction between long-term and short-term needs (chronic and occasional needs).

Herzbergs Motivational Theory

Frederick Herzberg (1966) considered that the individual lives on two levels: physical and psychical. He aimed at studying positive and negative work experiences on two hundred engineers and accountants and he tested the model according to which the individual develops within two sets of values: as animal, it tries to avoid pain and sufferance whereas as human being, it tries to self-develop. The subjects of this study were asked to remember the moments when they were satisfied with their jobs and to recall the negative experiences. Interpreting the results, he concluded that there are two types of factors that influence individuals work: motivational (bring satisfaction, are closely connected to work processes) and hygienic (bring dissatisfaction, are closely connected to work environment).

McClellands Motivational Theory

David McClelland and his colleagues of The Harvard University stated their study on work achievement from a list of 20 needs identified by H.A. Murray, but they concentrated only on the following three:

They discovered that individuals featuring superior values of the achievement needs were characterized by: A constant achievement needs level; They preferred tasks where they could assume responsibility; They preferred tasks that were challenging, but not too difficult and which they felt they could manage (no impossible tasks); They were interested in the feedback of their results; They were less preoccupied with affiliation and other social needs. McClelland concluded that achievement needs are developed as a result of childhood experiences and of the cultural environment, and less due to inherited factors. The psychometric test for selecting managers entitled Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): subjects regard a series of images that they should describe by saying what is happens, who are the implied persons, what is going to happen next, etc. The intensity of tested individuals needs are deduced from such descriptions.

Vroom and the expectancy theories

Victor H. Vroom [1964] concentrated on individuals behaviours at his work place so as to explain the processes implied in working. He supposed that most observed behaviours were motivated, being the result of a selection among more different possible finalities and more expectancies regarding the consequences of such actions. The expectancy Theory refers to the fact that motivated behaviour is the product of two key variables: Valence means the anticipated satisfaction of a final result, whereas value means a present satisfaction. Expectancy means that the individual expects a certain situation to end in a certain result, with a certain probability.

Force (motivation) = Valence x Expectance

The product of these two factors defines another variable, Force. It is considered to be a pressure that the individual feels so as to do a certain thing.

Edgar Scheins Motivational Theory

Edgar Schein [1970], in an analysis of behavioural sciences, identified a set of presumptions made on motivation. According to their occurrence in time, these are: Rational-economic human being: people are motivated to work first in their own interest and so as to maximize their income. They can be divided into two categories: - masses of people who are no be trusted, they are financially motivated and very calculated - people who are to be trusted and are motivated by a large assembly of needs, a moral elite to manage masses. This approach corresponds to McGregors X Theory. Social human being This approach considers people are motivates mainly by their social needs. Self-achievement motivated human being People are mainly motivated by their self-achievement needs. They need challenges, responsibility and to be praised in their work. Complex human being Motivation is a highly complex process as people are complex and different, they deal with various managerial strategies and are affected by different strategies within their different work groups.