What are motivational Theories ?

 Employee motivation is a critical variable in context of human resources which boosts up the employee job satisfaction (Kaur, 2013) providing a vast contribution in context of additions to the overall organizational productivity, performance and being a source of sustainable competitive advantage, which is a key factor to achieve organizational objectives (Jonas, n.d.). Since the employee motivation is a critical factor to an organizational success, special attention should be given to the employee motivation. For successful implementation of employee motivation theories have been developed providing approaches to the motivation of employees (Armstrong , 2006). Following are the four basic categories of theory developed for employee motivation.

• Instrumentality Theory
• Content (needs) Theory
• Two-factor model
• Process/ cognitive theory

ü  Expectancy theory

ü  Goal Theory

ü  Equity Theory (Armstrong , 2006 and Haque, et al., 2014)

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is concerned the organizational behavior and management in context of developing model in order to understand the attitudes and behaviors of employees to identify how the employees are motivated (Kaur, 2013 and Benson & Dundis, 2003). In the year of 1954, Abreham Maslow has firstly published “Motivation and personality” by which it introduced Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, which describes how the people in the enterprise satisfy various personal needs in concern of their job (Gawel, 1996). As per Armstrong (2006), the concept of motivation is consisting of needs of the employees which further described that unsatisfied need cause to a disequilibrium and tension. The unsatisfied needs will require to establish goals to satisfy such unsatisfied needs and identifying a behavior pathway that directs the organization towards to achievement of goals (Armstrong , 2006). In addition, Maslow defines the employees whose needs are not met in an organization as unhealthy and not-well adjusted employees (Kaur, 2013). Especially Maslow has stated in the theory that the needs of people has five levels and those needs are to be activated within an employee in an hierarchial manner which follows a general sequence i.e. the needs are arising in a specific order where they follow a general sequence of needs that are to be increased from the lowest to highest over the time (Kaur, 2013). It is identified that the employees can identify nor recognize the next higher level of need in the hierarchy of needs until the currently identified need is substantially or completely satisfied (Gawel, 1996).  

Abraham Maslow has identified five major categories of needs (Armstrong , 2006; Benson & Dundis, 2003; Kaur, 2013 and Jonas, n.d.)

1. Physiological needs
2. Safety needs
3. Social needs
4. Esteem needs
5. Self-actualization needs

Figure 01 – Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs (Jonas, n.d.)

Physiological Needs

Physiological needs are the needs at the bottom pillar of hierarchy of needs which are lowest in order and takes the form of most basic needs (Kaur, 2013). Oxygen, food, water, and shelter etc. can be considered as the physiological needs (Armstrong , 2006). The employees in Unilever company and other private sector employees may expect enough pay from the job to meet the day-to-day needs, availability of pleasant working conditions and working environment, and cafeteria would be the basic physiological needs of Unilever employees (Benson & Dundis, 2003 and Kaur, 2013). Further, Kaur (2013)states that as per the rationale the hungry employees would not be able to provide maximum contribution to the entity.

Safety Needs

Safety needs can be defined as a need of person towards protection against danger After an employee met with adequate pay for the job (Armstrong , 2006). employees seek for a safe working environment including both physical and mental safety through less work tension and anxiety with an enough pay (Benson & Dundis, 2003). A safe working environment refers to an environment where employees work without any fear or threats (Kaur, 2013). For an example, the initial safety needs of employees in any company or government worker are the job safety. Further, employees may need Protected clothes and equipment in order to perform their job, especially in manufacturing industry, and additionally the employees may require pension schemes, provident funds and medical aids to fulfill their needs of safety (Jonas, n.d.).

Social needs

Social need is a need of being loved and accepted by other persons in the organization, i.e., it is the need of being affiliated by the people (Armstrong , 2006). In order to help the employees to achieve social needs of employees after the safety needs, the entities motivate the employees to participate the social events like annual picnics, social clubs and sport events with colleagues giving the employees fun, entertainment and employee interaction in an informal way (Kaur, 2013 and Jonas, n.d.). These activities have improved the employee motivation within the entity (Jonas, n.d.). Social needs do not include just colleague relationships but also the healthier relationships with their supervisors, better professional assessment by supervisors and being iconic in corporation (Ramlal, 2004).

Esteem Needs

Esteem needs of an employee are met when the employee gets self-respect and approved by the others in the organization (Kaur, 2013). Esteem includes both personal esteem and the esteem received by a person in organizational context in forms of delegation of authorities and responsibilities, encouragement of participation (Ramlal, 2004),promotions, rewards and recognition, respect and by ways of giving credits to the certain employees on specific achievements (Jonas, n.d.). For an example, the awards ceremonies held by Singer Sri Lanka PLC. for admiring of its employees, and annual promotions are examples for fulfillment of esteem needs.

Self-actualization needs

When all four primary needs are met by the employees the self-actualization needs to be satisfied for a better employee motivation (Jerome, 2013). Self-actualization needs are where the employees are given chance to utilize the skills and abilities of employees to the maximum extent and to be the person that employee is dreamed of (Jonas, n.d.). As per Abraham Maslow, meeting self-actualization needs is the goal of person need to be and doing what the employee is born which makes the employees feel restlessness (Jerome, 2013 and Armstrong , 2006). Jonas (n.d.) further describes that the employees are not motivated by pay in this level, but motivated by the job challenges and by finding the solutions for such challenges. MAS Holdings’program towards identifying the needs of employees and helping them reach to their needs is an example for self-actulization goals.

 Following video will provide you a better idea on Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, 

Source - (Ducere Global Business School, 2018) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IETlvTNWhPg

References

Armstrong , M., 2006. Human Resource Management Practice. 10 ed. London : s.n.

Benson, S. & Dundis, S., 2003. Understanding and motivating health care employees: integrating Maslow's hierarchy of needs, training and technology. Journal of Nursing Management,, Volume 11, pp. 315-320.

Ducere Global Business School, 2018. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - What motivates us?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IETlvTNWhPg&t=5s
[Accessed 02 05 2022].

Gawel, J., 1996. Herzberg's Theory of Motivation and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Volume 5.

Haque, M., Haque, H. & Islam, M., 2014. Motivational Theories – A Critical Analysis. ASA University Review, 8(1), pp. 61-68.

Jerome, N., 2013. Application of the Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory; impacts and implications on organizational culture, human resource and employee’s performance. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 2(3), pp. 39-45.

Jonas, J., n.d. Making practical use of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory to motivate employees. a case of Masvingo Polytechnic. Journal of Management and Administration.

Kaur, A., 2013. Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory: Applications and Criticisms. Global Journal of Management and Business Studies., 3(10), pp. 1061-1064.

Ramlal, S., 2004. A Review of Employee Motivation Theories and their Implications for Employee Retention within Organizations. The Journal of American Academy of Business, pp. 52-63.

Studious guy, 2022. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. [Online]
Available at: https://studiousguy.com/real-life-examples-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs/
[Accessed 29 04 2022].