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Employee Motivation Theories


Many scholars have introduced different theories of motivation and most of these theories are related with employee job satisfaction outcomes. When it comes to motivational theories it includes three categories called process theories, content theories and contemporary theories (Saif, et al., 2012). Some of the mostly discussed theories are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Alderfer’s ERG (existence, relatedness, and growth) theory, Herzberg’s two factor theory and McClelland’s needs theory which are coming under content theories. Apart from that Vroom’s expectancy theory is coming under process theories category and this category focuses on how motivation occurs and how it creates employee satisfaction. Equity theory, agency theory, reinforcement theory, goal setting theory and job design theory belong to the contemporary theories of motivation. All these mentioned theories are linked with each other even though they are categorized into different categories based on their purposes (Badubi, 2017).

According to Azash, et al., (2011), Job satisfaction is “a fulfilling or optimistic expression consequential of the consideration of one’s activity”. All the motivational theories are important to increase job satisfaction of employees, and this is applicable to research engineers as well. Understanding of these theories is important since all these theories can be used to motivate engineering employees effectively. Furthermore, engineers can be motivated based on different factors and it is important to understand what are the factors that lead them to be motivated and how to be motivated since employees are different from each other. Hence in order to get that understanding it is important to understand motivational theories. Further the above-mentioned motivational theories can be applied to motivate employees. For examples under Herzberg’s two factor theory the hygiene factors are different from motivation factors where hygiene factors satisfy the lower-level needs while motivation factors satisfy the higher-level needs (Abdulhamidova, 2021). Hence by applying motivational theories managers can encourage their employees in terms of participation, commitment and also to maintain diversity within organization which in turn will help in motivating employees (Snyder & Grasberger, 2004).

Moreover, such factors can be understood when we are talking about the engineering employees. The way of using such factors and when to use them and what factors are to be given the priority can be understood through motivational theories. For an example as discussed earlier in two factor theory, factors like salary, incentives, working conditions which belong to hygiene factors can lead to dissatisfaction among engineers, if they don’t receive them adequately. Therefore, this theory helps us to understand that rather than depending only on the hygiene factors, providing motivation factors by focusing more on job content and job satisfaction will balance the overall motivation of the employees. Rewards, social relationships, social exchanges are very important for this matter. Therefore, application of theories is very important. Moreover, theories can be used to provide feeling of job security for employees as well and this will lead to high retention of engineering employees. When we are in the process of motivating engineers, we can understand that it needs to first satisfy their basic needs then to reach the top-level needs through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Based on the structure and the nature of the organization or the place where the engineers are working it can be decided what motivational theory and techniques is more suitable to motivate the employees (Manolopoulos, 2016).

 

References

Abdulhamidova, F., 2021. Herzberg's Two-Fctor Theory. s.l.:s.n.

Azash, S. M., Safare, R. & Kumar, M. S., 2011. The motivational factors and job satisfaction: a Study on selected public and private sector bank Employees in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh. International Refereed Research Journal, 2(4).

Badubi, R. M., 2017. Theories of Motivation and Their Application in in Organizations: A Risk Analysis. International Journal of Innovation and Economic Development, 3(3), pp. 44-51.

Manolopoulos, D., 2016. What motivates R&D professionals? Evidence from decentralized laboratories. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 04.

Saif, S. K., Nawaz, D. A. & Khan, M. I., 2012. Synthesizing the theories of job-satisfaction across the cultural/attitudinal dimensions.. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 1 1, Volume 3, pp. 1382-1396.

Snyder, B. E. & Grasberger, M. M., 2004. From a Clinical Engineering Perspective. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology, 01 07.pp. 283-287.

 


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  1. Ashanthi Rajapakse5 May 2022 at 23:59

    Hi Dumindu. Interesting post and there are many motivational theories. However, it is important for employers to understand what motivates employees and to design a motivation program that suits these needs. According to Linder (1998), regardless of which theory is used, interesting work and employees pay has linked to higher motivation.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chamara Gunarathne6 May 2022 at 05:22

    Agreed Dumindu, Staff motivation is a critical factor in the success of any business. Organizations need to understand the different characteristics of their employees and know what drives these particular personalities. Armed with this knowledge, organizations can tailor how they motivate or encourage employees, resulting in significantly higher levels of engagement and motivation in the workplace (Ramlall, 2004)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Employee Motivation Introduction16 May 2022 at 11:43

    Hello Duminda, I agree with the content of post.
    Maslow's hierarchy of needs model is based on two fundamental premises. The first premise states that individuals are primarily "wanting" creatures, motivated by a desire to satisfy certain types of needs. Needs that are largely unsatisfied tend to create tensions within people that lead them to behave in ways aimed at reducing the tension (Maslow, 1970, p.44). Westwood (1992) proposes that the three main principles that surround these premises in the theory are the deficit principle, the prepotency principle and the progression
    principle (p.293). The deficit principle explained that if a need is not satisfied, it generates tension and a drive to act. A satisfied need does not motivate. Similarly, Maslow also proposed that unsatisfied needs tend to pre-dominate (Maslow, 1970, p.293)

    ReplyDelete

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