THE PROCESS OF MOTIVATION
Motivation is concerned with goal-directed behaviour. People
are motivated to do something if they think it will be worth their
while.
The process of motivation is initiated by someone recognizing
an unsatisfied need. A goal is then established which, it is
thought, will satisfy that need, and a course of action is deter-
mined which is expected to lead towards the attainment of that
goal.
Basically, therefore, management and managers motivate
people by providing means for them to satisfy their unsatisfied
needs. This can be done by offering incentives and rewards for
achievement and effort. But the needs of individuals and the
goals associated with them vary so widely that it is difficult, if
not impossible, to predict precisely how a particular incentive or
reward will affect individual behaviour.
TYPES OF MOTIVATION
Motivation at work can take place in two ways. First, people can
motivate themselves by seeking, finding and carrying out work
which satisfies their needs or at least leads them to expect that
their goals will be achieved. Second, people can be motivated by
management through such methods as pay, promotion, praise,
etc.
These two types of motivation are described as:
■ Intrinsic motivation– the self-generated factors which influ-
ence people to behave in a particular way or to move in a
particular direction. These factors include responsibility
(feeling the work is important and having control over one’s
own resources), freedom to act, scope to use and develop
skills and abilities, interesting and challenging work, and
opportunities for advancement.
■ Extrinsic motivation – what is done to or for people to moti-
vate them. This includes rewards such as increased pay,
praise or promotion; and punishments, such as disciplinary
action, withholding pay or criticism.
222 How to be an Even Better Manager