Problem Background
Motivating employees can be both a rewarding and challenging task for managers. If an unsuitable motivation strategy is adopted, managers may end up with an even more dissatisfied workforce. Some main barriers to motivating employees include differences in personality traits, the availability of many theories of motivation confusing the managers, and the constant distraction of the employees (Shao et al., 2019). One of the countries with a previously demotivated workforce that has significantly benefited from adopting motivation theories is China. In a country where traditional working routines are still the norm, employees should be rewarded in both monetary and non-monetary ways. A literature and critical review shall be conducted to better clarify the main theories and problems associated with job motivation.
The study will further respond to how the stated problems can be solved using various motivation theories and their limitations. Then a critical review to further discuss some of the summarized literature review methods shall be undertaken. The review will look deeply and how job motivation theories have an impact on both the work and cultural context. An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of further analyzed methods shall also be conducted. This study will demonstrate that managers can use motivation theories in real-world environments to make business decisions by conducting literature and a critical review of the subject.
Literature Review
Definitions and Scope of Motivation Theories
Motivational theories try to understand what makes a person strive to achieve a particular goal or objective. Kinicki and Williams (2020) define motivation as the psychological process that arouses people and directs them toward a particular goal and behavior. Four main theories are used to explain motivation in different people and employees. They include reinforcement, content, process, and job design theory (Huang and Hew, 2018; Stone, Cox, and Gavin, 2020; Wayne and Martocchio, 2019). However, there is no motivation theory that is acceptable to all people. Therefore, managers usually have to choose the motivation theory that they believe will work for them.
The theories give different reasons as to why people are motivated. Abraham Maslow’s theory of needs is a content theory that explains that people are encouraged to fulfill needs in a particular order (Acquah et al., 2021; McCleskey & Ruddell, 2020). McClelland’s acquired needs theory states that people are motivated by achievements, power, and affiliations (Bhattacharya and Mittal, 2020; Kinicki and Williams, 2020; Rybnicek, Bergner, and Gutschelhofer, 2019). The abovementioned theory is closely related to Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory which argues that people are motivated by internal factors such as autonomy and competence (Riley, 2018). Another competence motivation theory is Herzberg’s motivation theory which states that people can be motivated by either hygiene or motivating factors.
Process theories, unlike competency theories, focus on how thoughts shape motivation. For instance, the justice theory states that people are motivated by seeking equality and fairness (Kinicki and Williams, 2020; Watts & Hodgson, 2019). The process motivation theory of expectancy explains that motivation is caused by the desire and the ability to achieve something (McCleskey and Ruddell, 2020). The goal-setting theory states that when goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and measurable, they motivate people more (Locke and Latham, 2019). There are also job design theories that focus on structuring jobs in a manner that is inspiring to the workers (Al-Musadieq et al., 2018; Raharjo et al., 2018). Examples of these theories are the job characteristics model, job enrichment theories, and scientific management theory (Al-Musadieq et al., 2018; Kinicki and Williams, 2020). Finally, there are reinforcement theories that hold a view of motivation being shaped by behavior and not a person’s experiences.
Problems Existing in Job Motivation
Problems in motivating vary and, if managed well, could affect an organization positively. First are confidence problems among workers, resulting in a lack of assertiveness and poor job performance. The second problem arises when employees adopt a pessimistic approach to work, resulting in a reduced drive to accomplish tasks. Other issues include the fear of failure, anxiety disorders, and lack of interest by the workers (Riley, 2018). These issues make employees unproductive and contribute less to a company’s operations.
How to Respond to These Problems
Managers and employees can regain motivation by focusing on one long-term goal. They can also break the big long-term goal into many short-term achievements, which should be adequately rewarded. Expressions of gratitude can be expressed publicly for extroverted workers and through unique gifts for introverts (Santos, 2018). A to-do list can boost the motivation of short-term workers. The demotivated workforce should also be argued to prioritize only a few critical goals.
Critical Review
Examination of Motivation Theories
Developed in 1943, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states that five levels of human want drive motivation and are fulfilled from the most basic to the most advanced. Physiological needs are the first, and they include food, shelter, and clothing (Hopper, 2020). They are followed by safety needs and include various safeties such as health safety, job safety, and personal security. Next are love needs, which encompass how a person can be motivated to work by the desire to be loved both in affection and in the workplace. Higher in the hierarchy are esteem needs, and mostly entail a person being recognized within the community. According to this theory, the highest-level need is self-actualization, where a person is motivated to impact the world. This theory is widely accepted because it is easy to understand and apply. It can be used to analyze consumer spending habits in society (Smit and Sweet, 2021). However, the theory is limited since people can jump from one level to a more advanced level without passing through all the levels.
Managers can use Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to understand various problems faced by employees and set strategies on how to solve them. For instance, some employees end up demotivated because they cannot achieve a certain need in the pyramid. An employee who can afford food, shelter, and clothing but has no access to respect, self-esteem, and status could feel as if they are lacking something and end up not functioning optimally. The solution to employee motivation using Maslow’s Hierarchy is for managers to evaluate each employee and ask them what they want most in life (Hopper, 2020). Managers should not assume that their workers have achieved particular needs. They should try to ensure that the work environment is able to give the workers all the desired needs, including self-actualization.
According to Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, three desires drive self-determination: relatedness, autonomy, and competence. In other words, people desire to feel they are knowledgeable, and they can act independently with close guidance and counseling and know that they belong to a group or a community. The determination theory is widely accepted as it is observable that most people’s efforts are attributable to internal factors and needs (Behzadnia, Deci, and DeHaan, 2020). The self-determination theory, however, has shortcomings since it is difficult for a person to conduct a self-assessment on self and know what drives their motivation in the workplace. The reason why employees lack motivation can be further explained using Maslow’s Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory. Employees who feel they lack autonomy, competence, or relatedness will not perform well.
Reference List
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