Motivation Theories Explained in 10 Minutes

Summary

This lesson delves into various motivation theories that have evolved since the industrial revolution to understand what drives employee behavior. It categorizes theories into content and process theories. Content theories like Maslow's hierarchy, Herzberg's two-factor theory, and McClelland's achievement motivation theory focus on fulfilling needs and aspirations. Process theories, including equity theory, expectancy theory, and reinforcement theory, examine how motivation occurs and can be influenced. The lesson also touches on Taylor's scientific management and Locke's goal-setting theory, offering a comprehensive view of motivation in the workplace.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Motivation theories have evolved since industrialization, with many different approaches emerging.
• 📊 Frederick Taylor's scientific management theory (1911) was one of the first and views motivation as fulfilling needs.
• 🔺 Maslow's hierarchy of needs describes motivation as fulfilling physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs in that order.
• 🔧 Herzberg's two-factor theory divides motivation into motivators (e.g., interesting job) and hygiene factors (e.g., working conditions).
• 🏆 The three needs theory identifies achievement, affiliation, and power as key motivational drivers.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y categorize employees as either lazy and needing control (X) or self-motivated and ambitious (Y).
• 📈 ERG theory simplifies Maslow's hierarchy into existence, relatedness, and growth needs.
• 👥 Mayo's motivation theory emphasizes the importance of group norms and cohesiveness in performance.
• ⚖️ Adam's equity theory states that motivation is influenced by perceived fairness in treatment relative to others.
• 🌟 Vroom's expectancy theory asserts that motivation depends on expectancy (effort leads to success), instrumentality (success leads to reward), and valence (value of reward).

Q & A

What is the general concept of motivation according to the lesson?

Motivation is driven by our needs, leading us to exhibit certain behaviors to satisfy these needs. If our needs are satisfied, we may develop new needs and exhibit new behaviors.

Who developed one of the first theories of motivation and what is it called?

Frederick Taylor developed one of the first theories of motivation called Scientific Management in 1911.

How are motivation theories generally categorized?

Motivation theories are generally categorized into two groups: content theories and process theories.

What is the focus of content theories?

Content theories focus on what motivates us by looking at our needs and aspirations, and how fulfilling these needs motivates us.

What is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a theory that describes needs in a hierarchy, where lower-level needs must be satisfied before moving to higher-level needs. The levels are physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs.

What are Herzberg's two factors in his motivation theory?

Herzberg's two factors are motivators, which encourage you to work harder if present (e.g., having an interesting job), and hygiene factors, which cause you to become unmotivated if not present (e.g., poor working conditions).

What does McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y suggest about employees?

McGregor's Theory X suggests that employees are intrinsically lazy and unmotivated, requiring control and supervision. Theory Y suggests that employees are ambitious and self-motivated, and will perform well under the right conditions.

What does Adam's Equity Theory state?

Adam's Equity Theory states that high levels of employee motivation can be achieved when each employee perceives their treatment as fair relative to others.

What is the main idea of Taylor's Scientific Management?

Taylor's Scientific Management is based on the belief that employees are motivated by money alone, do not inherently enjoy work, and therefore need to be closely monitored to ensure they are not slacking off.

What is Locke's Goal Setting Theory?

Locke's Goal Setting Theory is based on the premise that setting the right goals can increase both motivation and productivity. The right goals must be clear, challenging, committed to, provide feedback, and not be too complex.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Motivation Theories

This paragraph introduces the lesson on motivation theories, tracing the history back to the beginning of industrialization and the development of different theories to understand employee motivation. It explains the basic idea that each individual is motivated by their needs, which in turn drive behaviors aimed at satisfying those needs. The paragraph also introduces the two main categories of motivation theories: content theories, which focus on what motivates us, and process theories, which focus on how motivation occurs.

05:01

🔍 Content Theories of Motivation

This section provides an overview of content theories of motivation, beginning with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which posits that individuals must satisfy lower-level needs before higher-level ones. It discusses Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, which identifies motivators and hygiene factors, and the Three Needs Theory, which highlights the needs for achievement, affiliation, and power. McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y are also explained, differentiating between the assumptions that employees are either lazy or self-motivated. Lastly, ERG Theory, a simplified version of Maslow's hierarchy, and Mayo's Motivation Theory, emphasizing group norms and cohesiveness, are covered.

10:02

⚙️ Process Theories of Motivation

This paragraph delves into process theories of motivation. Adam's Equity Theory suggests motivation is driven by perceptions of fairness in treatment relative to others. Vroom's Expectancy Theory states that motivation is influenced by the belief in achievable targets, the certainty of rewards, and the value of the rewards. Taylor's Scientific Management posits that employees are primarily motivated by money. The Self-Efficacy Theory links motivation to an individual's belief in their ability to perform tasks. The Reinforcement Theory discusses how positive and negative reinforcements, punishments, and extinction can influence behavior. Finally, Lock's Goal Setting Theory emphasizes the importance of clear, challenging, and attainable goals, along with commitment, feedback, and manageable task complexity.

🔗 Summary and Conclusion

The final paragraph summarizes the lesson, reiterating that motivation theories aim to explain how to motivate employees in the workplace. It highlights the distinction between content theories, which focus on our needs and aspirations, and process theories, which focus on the mechanisms of motivation. The lesson concludes with an encouragement to reflect on the various theories and their practical applications in motivating employees.

Keywords

💡Motivation

Motivation refers to the reasons or drives behind individuals' actions and behaviors. In the video, motivation is explored through various theories that seek to understand what encourages employees to work effectively. Different theories, such as Taylor's scientific management and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, provide different perspectives on what drives motivation.

💡Scientific Management

Developed by Frederick Taylor in 1911, scientific management is a theory that emphasizes the importance of optimizing and standardizing work processes to improve efficiency. Taylor believed that money was the primary motivator for workers, and thus employers should closely monitor employees to ensure productivity. This theory is one of the earliest attempts to systematically study motivation in the workplace.

💡Content Theories

Content theories focus on the specific factors that motivate individuals by fulfilling their needs and aspirations. Examples include Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's two-factor theory. These theories are concerned with what will motivate employees, identifying various needs that drive behavior, such as physiological needs, safety, social belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

💡Process Theories

Process theories examine how motivation occurs and how different processes can influence motivation levels. They focus on the cognitive processes that affect an individual's decision to engage in certain behaviors. Examples from the video include Adam's equity theory and Vroom's expectancy theory, which look at fairness and expected outcomes as motivators.

💡Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A content theory developed by Abraham Maslow, which describes human needs in a hierarchical structure. According to Maslow, basic physiological needs must be satisfied before individuals can progress to higher-level needs like safety, social belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. This hierarchy illustrates how fulfilling lower-level needs is essential for motivating individuals to achieve higher-level aspirations.

💡Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory

Herzberg's theory differentiates between motivators and hygiene factors. Motivators, such as having an interesting job, encourage employees to work harder, while hygiene factors, like working conditions and pay, prevent dissatisfaction but do not necessarily motivate. This theory highlights the importance of addressing both factors to maintain a motivated workforce.

💡Three Needs Theory

This theory posits that individuals have three primary needs: achievement, affiliation, and power. These needs vary among individuals and influence their motivation. Managers can use this theory to set motivational targets tailored to each team member, enhancing overall productivity by addressing these fundamental needs.

💡Equity Theory

Developed by John Stacy Adams, equity theory states that employees are motivated by fairness. When employees perceive that they are treated fairly compared to others, they are more likely to be motivated. Conversely, perceived inequities can lead to reduced motivation and adjustments in behavior to restore balance.

💡Expectancy Theory

Proposed by Victor Vroom, expectancy theory suggests that motivation is influenced by the expected outcome of behavior. For motivation to occur, three factors must be present: expectancy (belief that effort leads to performance), instrumentality (belief that performance leads to reward), and valence (value of the reward). This theory emphasizes the importance of clear and achievable goals to motivate employees.

💡Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in their ability to successfully perform a specific task. Higher self-efficacy leads to greater motivation. The theory identifies four factors influencing self-efficacy: personal experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological feedback. By enhancing these factors, managers can boost employees' confidence and motivation.

Highlights

Introduction to motivation theories since the beginning of industrialization and the advent of factories.

Frederick Taylor's scientific management theory, developed in 1911, as one of the first motivation theories.

Explanation of the general concept of motivation involving needs, behaviors, and the cycle of satisfaction and change.

Distinction between content theories and process theories of motivation.

Overview of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, describing five levels: physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization.

Herzberg's two-factor theory, emphasizing motivators and hygiene factors in employee motivation.

Three needs theory, proposing that achievement, affiliation, and power are key motivators.

McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y, contrasting views on employee motivation and management styles.

ERG theory as a simplified version of Maslow's hierarchy, focusing on existence, relatedness, and growth needs.

Mayo's motivation theory highlighting the importance of group norms and cohesiveness for performance.

Adam's equity theory, which emphasizes the role of perceived fairness in employee motivation.

Vroom's expectancy theory, explaining motivation through expectancy, instrumentality, and valence.

Taylor's scientific management principles focusing on efficiency and monetary motivation.

Self-efficacy theory of motivation, involving experience, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological feedback.

Reinforcement theory of motivation, detailing positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction.

Locke's goal-setting theory, stressing the importance of goal clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback, and task complexity.

Summary of the two main categories of motivation theories: content theories and process theories.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to today's lesson

where we're looking at

motivation theories since the beginning

of industrialization

and the advent of factories people have

been trying to figure out what motivates

employees now different people who've

tried to figure this out

have come up with different answers

resulting in many different theories of

motivation

one of the very first theories was

developed by frederick taylor in 1911

called scientific management and in a

general sense

you can think of motivation as working

as

follows now each of us has needs now

obviously your needs will be different

from my needs

but each of us is motivated by our needs

to exhibit

certain behaviors and the aim of our

behaviors is obviously to see if we can

satisfy

our needs now whether our needs are

satisfied or not

can then cause us to change our needs

and in this way

the cycle begins again with our new

needs potentially causing us

to exhibit new behaviors so for example

if you were thirsty

and your thirst is satisfied you may

develop a new need

of hunger and trying to satisfy your

hunger

now as we've already said there are many

different theories of motivation

however they can be categorized into two

groups

content theories and process theories

now

content theories look at motivation from

the perspective

of our needs and our aspirations these

theories then discuss motivation

in terms of fulfilling these needs so

you can think of content theories

as focusing on what will motivate us

process theories on the other hand look

at how people are motivated

they're concerned with the process by

which motivation occurs

and how we can adjust our processes to

alter motivation levels

so you can think of processed theories

of motivation

as focusing on how motivation occurs

so now let's jump in and give an

overview of

all of these theories of motivation

starting with the content

theories but hold on to your hats

because i'm going to go as quick as i

can

but if you'd like to dig deeper then

i've provided

links so you can learn more about all of

these theories so first we have

maslow's hierarchy of needs now maslow

describes needs

in terms of a hierarchy and the concept

being that needs at the bottom of the

hierarchy

must be satisfied before an individual

can move to the next

level and seek to satisfy those needs

now the five levels are physiological

needs such as food and water

safety needs things like being free from

war having a secure job

social needs like having relationships

and belonging to groups

esteem needs or self-esteem needs such

as receiving praise recognition and

status

and finally what maslow calls

self-actualization needs

such as wanting to be the best we can be

next herzberg's two-factor theory now

herzberg

argued that there are two factors which

are essential in the motivation

of employees motivators and

hygiene factors now motivators encourage

you to work harder if present so for

example having an interesting

job and hygiene factors cause you to

become

unmotivated if they are not present so

for example having poor

working conditions or having poor pay

next up is three needs theory and this

argues that each of us has

three needs that exist on a scale so we

have the need for achievement

the need for affiliation which means

collaborating with others with the need

to be part of a group and finally the

need for

power now managers can use the three

needs theory to set motivational targets

tailored to each of their team

next we have mcgregor's theory x and

theory y

this says that employees fault fall into

one of two categories

theory x assumes that team members are

intrinsically lazy and unmotivated

and will avoid doing work if there is

any opportunity to do so

so because of this management must build

systems of control and supervision

on the other hand theory y assumes that

team members are

ambitious and self-motivated now a

theory why manager

holds the view that if people are

provided with the right conditions

then they will perform well

now we come to erg theory now you can

think of this

as being a simplified version of

maslow's hierarchy of needs

in erg theory there are three needs

which are also arranged

as a hierarchy so first we have

existence needs

these concern your physical well-being

so having food having water and feeling

safe

we have relatedness needs needs which

concern your need

to relate to other people and finally

you have your growth needs

and these refer to our personal

development needs

and desire to perform meaningful work

the final content theory we'll look at

is mayo's

motivation theory now mayo determined

that

how well a group of employees perform is

defined by two

factors norms and group cohesiveness now

norms

meaning whether the members of the group

encourage positive or negative behavior

and group cohesiveness meaning how well

the group gets along with each other

now groups that have high cohesiveness

and positive norms

will be the most highly motivated and

therefore the highest

performing now mayo is important

because he was the first to recognize

that if you treat an employee well

they might be more productive for you

now these days that might seem like an

obvious statement but in the time of

mayo

it wasn't so that's all the content

theories covered let's take a look at

the process theories

first up is adam's equity theory now

this says that high levels of employee

motivation

can only be achieved when each employee

perceives their treatment to be fair

relative to others so for example if you

were paid

half what your colleague earns but do

precisely the same

work how would you respond well this

theory

says that you'll adjust your inputs that

is the amount of work you do

to compensate for the perceived

unfairness of receiving half the pay

the output next we have rooms

expectancy theory now this states that a

person will choose their behavior based

on

what they expect the result of that

behavior to be

and for an employee to be motivated

three factors must be

present expectancy and that's the belief

that if you put the effort in

it will be possible for you to hit your

targets meaning your targets are

actually achievable

instrumentality and that's the belief

that you will receive the reward

if you actually hit your targets and

finally finally

valence so you must value and want

the reward that's on offer now if you

multiply

these three factors together then the

higher the result

the higher the motivation

next we have taylor's scientific

management and

this theory can be broken down into two

parts first we have a philosophy about

how

employees behave and then based on that

taylor created

principles to maximize efficiency now

taylor believed

employees were only motivated by one

thing

money and because workers are only

motivated by money

then they don't inherently enjoy work

and work hard

and so because of that employers should

monitor workers very closely to ensure

they are not

slacking off next we have the

self-efficacy

theory of motivation and this is a task

specific

way of thinking about motivation the

higher your self-efficacy

the greater your belief that you can

perform a specific

task and the more your motivation so

four factors combine

to determine a person's self-efficacy

your

experience so have you done similar jobs

in the past

your vicarious experience meaning have

you seen others do it successfully

social persuasion meaning encouragement

from others will increase your

self-efficacy

and finally physiological feedback so

typically

the more at ease you are with the type

of task

the higher your self-efficacy next up

is the reinforcement theory of

motivation

so according to the theory there are

four factors which influence motivation

and you can use these factors to

encourage good behavior

and discourage bad behavior now the

first factor is positive reinforcement

and that's a reward you give

for desired behavior next we have

negative reinforcement

which is a reward you give by removing

something negative

from the environment next we have

punishment

and this is when you use the threat of a

negative consequence

to stop undesirable behavior and finally

we have extinction

and this refers to stopping someone's

learned behavior

you can extinguish the behavior by

withholding the positive reinforcement

that led to the behavior in the first

place

the final theory is lock's goal setting

theory now

this is based on the premise that if you

set the right goals then you can

increase both

motivation and productivity so what are

the right goals

well in order for the goal to be the

right one it must have clarity so it

must be clear

it must have challenge so it must be

challenging but not too challenging it

must have commitment so you must be

committed to achieving the goal

there must be feedback meaning regular

feedback boosts your commitment

and finally task complexity is something

to be aware of

a goal must not be too complicated

so in summary motivation theories

attempt to explain

how to motivate employees in the

workplace

broadly speaking theories of motivation

fall into two

categories content theories and process

theories

now content theories look at motivation

from the perspective of our needs and

aspirations

whereas process theories look at how

people

are motivated so that's it for this

lesson

we've covered a lot really hope you

enjoyed it and i'll speak to you again

soon