CONTENTS
1. Motivation……………………………………………2
2. A Maslow’s hierarchy of needs………………………2
3. D. McGregor’s theories………………………………5
4. Literature………………………………………………8
Motivation
Motivation is a general term for any part of the hypothetical psychological process which involves the expiring of needs and drives and the behavior that leads to the goal which satisfies them. [11]
Motivation is an attitude that justifies the behavior that arises when employee are given a combination of an ability to do a good job and an opportunity to have a good job. [12]
Motivation describes forces within the individual that account for the level, direction and persistence of effort expended at work. [13]
Motivation is concerned with the ‘why’ of human behavior, what it is that makes people do things. [2]
Motivation is inducing a person or group of people, each with his or her own distinctive needs and personality, to work to achieve the organization’s objectives, while also working to achieve his or her own objectives. [1]
Differences:
He meaning of motivation is described in all definitions. In the first one motivation is described as process (hypothetical psychological process), in the second one- as an attitude, in the third one- as some kind of forces. In the second definition the focus is set to work (as to do a good job and to have a good job) In the first and last definitions the goals and objectives are mentioned and that it is important to achieve them due to the fact that satisfy people’s needs.
Conclusions:
I prefer the first definition of motivation, because it is clear and easily understandable. I think a motivation is more psychological process than an attitude or the forces.
A Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
D.Maslow classified all human needs in order of importance to the individual and presented as a pyramid. He says these needs form a hierarchy and that each need become active or aroused only when the next lower need is reasonable satisfied.
These needs are:
1. Physiological needs (food, etc.)-the lowest level in Maslow’s hierarchy. There are most basic needs everyone has.
2. Safety needs (a secure job, etc.)- when the physiological needs are reasonable satisfied then the safety needs become activated.
3. Social needs (friends, etc.)- now the social needs become the active motivation of behavior-needs such as for affiliation and for friendship.
4. Ego needs (recognition, etc.)- One of the big differences between these ego needs and the physiological, safety and social needs is that the ego needs are rarely satisfied.
5. Self actualization needs (becoming the person you know you are capable of becoming)-there is an ultimate need: a need that only begins to dominate a person’s behavior once all lower level needs are reasonable satisfied. [4]
Another hierarchy of needs model:
1. Physiological needs: For sunlight, sex, food, water and similar outcomes basic to human survival.
2. Safety needs: For freedom from threat from the environment, animals and other people, for shelter, security, other predictability, for an organized world.
3. Love needs: for relationship, affection, given and receiving love, for feeling of belongingness.
4. Esteem needs: for strength, achievement, adequacy, confidence, independence, for a stable, high self-evaluation based on capability and respect from others.
5. Self-actualization needs: for developing of capability to the fullest potential.
6. Freedom of inquiry and expression needs: for social conditions that permit free speech, and encourage justice, fairness and honesty.
7. The need to know and to understand: to gain and to systematize knowledge of the environment, the need for curiosity, learning, philosophizing, experimenting and exploring. [5]
The third hierarchy of needs model:
1. Physiological and biological needs. At the safety and security needs. When the lowest level, but of primary importance when they are not met.(Theoretical: Food drink sex, applied: pay, vocation, rest room)
2. Safety and security needs. When the lowest level are reasonable satisfied, safety needs become important. (Theoretical: protection and stability; applied: Employee development, safe working conditions, pension vesting).
3. Social and belonging needs. Social needs included the need for belonging, association, acceptance by colleagues, and giving and receiving friendship and love. (Applied: formal and informal work group, longevity clubs.).
4. Ego and esteem needs. Above the social needs- in the sense that they do not become motivators until lower needs are well satisfied- are the egoistic needs. (Theoretical: status, pay, recognition; applied: power, ego, promotion, praise).
5. Self- fulfillment and self-actualization needs. There are need for realizing one’s own potentialities, for continued self-development, and for being creative in the broadest sense of that term.(applied: doing creative work, developing skills.) [1]
And the finally hierarchy of needs model:
1. Physiological needs. These include homeostasis (the body’s automatic efforts to retain normal functioning) such as satisfaction of hunger and thirst also sleep activity and arguably sexual desire.
2. Safety
needs.These includes freedom from pain or threat of physical attack, protection from danger or deprivation.
3. Love needs. These includes affection, sense of belonging, social activities, friendship.
4. Esteem needs. These include both self-respect and the esteem of others. Self- respective involves the desire for confidence, strength, freedom, and esteem of others involves reputation or prestige, status attention.
5. Self-actualization needs. This is the development and realization of one’s full potential. [6]
Differences:
A Maslow classified all human needs in order of importance to the individuals and he presented five levels of needs: physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, ego needs, self actualization needs in another source seven innate needs are given. They are: physiological needs, safety needs, love needs, esteen needs, self-actualization needs, freedom of inquiry and expression needs and the last one- the need to know and to understand. The last tow needs are often missing from textbook account of Maslow’s theory.
Conclusions:
To sum up everything I think that all human needs are classified in similar way in different descriptions. Just the names of needs are different; some of them could be included in wider function. E.g. love needs- it is too narrow, but we can define them as social and belonging needs. The best way of classification in my opinion should be as follows: Physiological and biological needs, safety and security needs, social and belonging needs, ego and esteem needs, self- fulfillment and self-actualization needs, freedom of inquiry and expression needs and the need to know and to understand.