HCM 433 MANGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR.pdf

3.2 THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
There are many competing theories, which attempt to explain the nature of motivation. These
theories are all at, least partially true, and all help to explain the behaviour of certain people at
certain times. However the search for a generalized theory of motivation at work appears a vain or
futile quest. Nevertheless, any theory or study, which aids an understanding of how best to
motivate people at work, must be useful.
3.2.1 CONTENT AND PROCESS THEORIES OF MOTIVATION.
Generally speaking, writers who have thought and written about motivation have considered two
distinct but interrelated sets of ideas: content theories and process theories.
Content theories focus on those specific things, which actually motivate the individual at work.
The environmental or personal characteristics that serve to energise, activate, or motivate the
individual. These theories are concerned with identifying people’s needs and their relative
strengths, and the goals they pursue in order to satisfy these needs. The emphasis here is on what
motivates.Process theories are concerned with explaining how the individual chooses to engage in
a particular behaviour.
It focuses more on how behaviour is initiated, directed and sustained. Process theories place
emphasis on the actual process of motivation. The attempt is to identify the relationship among
the dynamic variables, which make up the motivation.
3.2.1 (A) ► Motivational Contents
Major content theories of motivation, according to Mullins (1996, pp. 489) include.
(a) Human Resources model: Theories X and Theory Y
(b) Maslow’s hierarachy of needs model;
(c) Alderfer’s modified need hierarchy model;
(d) Herzberg’s two-factor theory; and
(e) McClelland’s achievement motivation theory,
i) Human Resources Model: Theory X and Y.
In an important study, behavioural scientist Douglas McGregor concluded that managers had
radically different beliefs about how best to use the human resources at a firm’s disposal. He
classified these believes into sets of assumptions that he labeled “Theory X” and “Theory Y” the
basic differences between these two theories are highlighted in Table 1.1
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