Understanding the Motivation Theory Articles | Self Esteem

By: Darren Williger

The etymology of the word motivation comes from the term meaning “to move”. Here we define it as an internal factor which influences behavior and gives a new direction to an individual. Motivation is required in the life of every individual. The Motivation theory focuses on the various processes and the reasons which tend to influence our behavior and our urges to do what we have to.

The motivation theory is thought of as one of the most important areas of study in the field of organizational behavior. It consists of two main categories- content theories and process theories. A lot of several motivation theories have been written about by psychologists but not all of them have universal acceptance.

Some of the pioneers in content theory of motivation, which focuses on the internal factors that channelize human behavior, include Abraham Maslow, Alderfer, Herzeberg, and McClelland. Motivation theory such as the very famous Hierarchy of Needs by Maslow, the ERG theory by Alderfer, motivator-hygiene theory by Herzeberg also known as the dual factors theory by Herzeberg, and learned needs or three-needs theory by McClelland are some of the major content theories.

Of all the theories listed above, the content theory discussed by Maslow on the hierarchy of human needs is that which is rather popular and agreed on by most. It focuses on five levels of psychological needs: physiological needs, safety and security needs, self esteem needs, love needs, and needs for self actualization.

Another theory which is similar to that of Maslow is the ERG theory that explains the existence, relatedness and growth needs in human beings. While the dual factors theory of Herzeberg talks about specific factors at the workplace that can help in job satisfaction. On the other hand, the Thematic Aptitude Test (TAT), a projective technique as part of the learned needs motivation theory by McClelland, tries to evaluate people and their aptitude based on the three main needs that are: power, affiliation, and achievement. It would be safe to conclude that McClelland’s motivation theory results indicate that people who have a higher need of power take action in ways that tend to influence the behavior of other people and those around them.

The motivation theory tries to uncover the reasons why people are motivated to do certain tasks and become successful at these tasks. While a number of people tend to have different behaviors in terms of the way they think, the immediate environments that they reside in, the background of that person and a number of other factors are also primary reasons. Maybe it is for this reason that Maslow's motivation theory claims that a man’s behavior is controlled and affected by the internal as well as the external factors. This also means that man possesses the power to make choices about his life and follow his own free-will as well.

Other theories such as the Adam's equity theory, Vroom’s expectancy theory, goal-setting motivation theory, and reinforcement motivation theory etc all tend to espouse the claim that when people need something they tend to be motivated to achieve it. If you need something badly enough, the desire and need that you possess should be the required motivation that you need in order to achieve it.