The Process of Motivation

The process of motivation starts with need identification. For example, an employee in a company

wants a higher salary, for more challenging work and time off. His thought process is guided by his

needs that directs him to satisfy the needs by adopting a pattern of action. Should this course of

action lead him to receive the expected reward, then he’ll definitely be motivated by this reward to

perform in the same manner in future. (Farooq, 2018)

The second step in the motivation process is exploring ways to fulfil the need. In this process

alternative ways are explored to satisfy the identified need. This unsatisfied need stimulates the

employee’s thought process that direct him/her to adopt a course of action. (Farooq, 2018)

Selecting goals is the third step in the process and are selected on the basis of identifying needs and

alternative course of actions. (Farooq, 2018)

Fourth step is performance of employee. In this step the employee’s performance is stimulated in a

way considered by the employee and a certain course of action is followed to the satisfaction of the

unsatisfied need. (Farooq, 2018)

The fifth step in the process is consequences of performance and is the result of an employee’s

performance in their quest for reward. Should the required reward be obtained, the employee will

be motivated to follow this course action again in future. Also, should the reward not be obtained,

the employee might not be willing to repeat this course of action in future. (Farooq, 2018)

The last step is reassessment of feficiencies of need, whereby the employee is satisfied through the

rewards of his line of action. The employee will then reassess any further unsatisfied needs and

restart the process of motivation. (Farooq, 2018)

Does money motivate you? Why or why not?

Yes, money is the foundation of everyone's lifestyle. We live in a material society where we are

looking to get the newest smartphone or sweetest car. It doesn't matter what class you fall into; most

things revolve around money, and it is how we provide for our family.

How can today’s managers help employees who suffer from work stress?

Set clear goals.

Encourage mindfulness by meditating.

A flexible work environment.

Encourage employees to move their bodies, get up move around and stretch or exercise.

Workplace recognition, give credit where credit is due.

Offer suggestions on how you can maintain a good work-life balance

Play to your strengths - focus on your strengths and outsource the others.

Prioritise your time.

Plot some personal time.

Find time for your finances - feel confident about your finances.

Manage your time, long term - create a timeline of your activities.

Make your workspace work for you - this includes getting a comfortable chair, an ergonomic

keyboard, a support stand for your laptop, etc.

Tap into technology - use Skype or conferencing technologies instead of driving to meetings.

Make exercise a must-do, not a should-do.

Take time to make time - invest in time-tracking tools, it allows you to quickly build an understanding

of how long a particular task takes.

Know and nurture your network

Do what you love - other than work and give it the time it deserves.

Be realistic - At the end of each working day, perform a little self-analysis regarding what worked

today, what didn’t, what went wrong and how it can be fixed.

Step out - schedule some phone calls or coffee time to discuss ideas and offer support with

likeminded colleagues.

Manage your mind – meditation or reading a business book can help keep fear or self-doubt or

anxiety at bay.

Take a break - take time out throughout your day.

Have that holiday - Make time for a holiday, even a long weekend every quarter is better than

nothing.

References

Clarke, L. (2019, September 6). How Great Managers Can Help Reduce Stress in the Workplace.

Retrieved from https://inside.6q.io/reduce-stress-in-the-workplace/

Farooq, U. (2018, February 6). The Motivation Process. Retrieved from

https://www.businessstudynotes.com/hrm/human-resource-management/discuss-the-process-of-

motivation-in-detail/

20 tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.roche.com/careers/country/india/service/folder/20_tips_for_maintain.htm

Motivation process is a non-ending or continuous loop that comprises different

steps, within an individual in order to achieve a goal like a salary raise, better position,

bigger house, etc. And with each accomplished goal, another process starts to achieve

more because the humans want cannot be ended. According to (Motivation Process in

Management and Organizational Behavior 2019), there are five steps or phases of the

motivation process:

1.Identify Unsatisfied Needs and Motives: the first step stands for activating the

internal stimuli such as hunger and activate the external stimuli such as advertisement.

2.Tension: people try to develop objects that will make them satisfied or will satisfy their

needs.

3.Action to satisfy needs and motives: the internal stimulus is created by the tension

that calls for action.

4.Goal accomplishment: a goal can be achieved by reward or punishment.

5.Feedback: provides information for a vision or improvement.

While Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented

behaviors. It is what causes you to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce

thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge. Moreover, motivation involves the biological,

emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term

"motivation" is frequently used to describe why a person does something. It is the driving

force behind human actions. (Kendra, C.2020).

2. Abraham Maslow's developed the Hierarchy of 5 needs in 1943” (Markgraf, 2018,

Section Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, para, 2). It gives a visual representation of motivational

needs, eps that individuals pursue constantly, to satisfy and sustain basic and secondary tier

needs. The primary physiological need, are necessary for cellular growth and development,

example, “food, water, sleep, clothing, and sex;” (see Maslow's hierarchy of needs.svg. [n.d.]).

The secondary needs are both intrinsic and extrinsic needs, example, “shelter, belongingness and

love, esteem and self-actualization.” (see Maslow's hierarchy of needs.svg. [n.d.]).

The pyramid table speak truth to power, as the primary physiological motivating need for

food and water, at tier 1, is necessary for the sustenance of the body and its growth and

development; Sleep is vital for rest, repair and restoration; and Sex is necessary for the

perpetuation of the species. In tier 2, these motivators impact the psychological being with

personal security, shelter (home), the security of employment, family, health, values, and a belief

system in morality are important factors that contribute to the individual’s perception and

cognitive values and belief system. Tier 3, is the transition of primary level needs to secondary

level needs and highlights the motivational ‘pull’ and ‘push’ for Love and belonging. It

communicates the significance of friendship, love, and intimacy, which enhances social well-

being and the establishment of kinship. Tier 4, highlights personal-esteem - the need for

confidence, achievement, self-efficacy, respect for others, and respect by others. Tier 5, occupies

the apex of the pyramid and highlight the need for self-actualization, which subsume the best

version of an individual’s being, such as creativity, morality, problem-solving, lack of prejudice,

objectivity, that are enabling factors of decency and civility.

The attainment of one or more needs within the tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is

not permanently filled. They diminish over time or with the accomplishment of the goal the

individual had set out to achieve. Genç et al. (2017), cited Maslow (1943), argues that “human

needs are unlimited after a need is satisfied, another need will arise, needs have a certain

hierarchical order, no need or drive can be considered independently, every need is related to

satisfaction or dissatisfaction of other needs” (p. 211). An individual’s inner needs and drives are
actioned with different levels of intensity based on the credence they attached to a need or

motive based on its urgency of importance.

The foundational work of Maslow’s studies, brought into focus the dynamic phenomenal

relationship of human needs and motivational factors that will evoke workers interest and

enthusiasm and a matching response from organizations and managers to create a collaborative

culture of trust, collaboration, performance management, and rewards between and organization

and its most valuable resource component, its worker. Jerome (2013), argued that “progressive

organizations employ the tools of human resource management to develop multidisciplinary

organizational functions drawing theories and ideas from various fields, such as management,

psychology, sociology, and economics to develop a smart workforce, improve productivity and

economically viable organization” (p. 40).

According to Kammar (n.d.), the merits of Maslow’s theory of motivations are:

1. “It helps organizations and managers in understanding how to motivate their employees”

(p. 1).

2. “The simple and graphic representation of the primary and secondary tiers of hierarchical

needs, make for easy reading and understanding” (p. 1).

3. “Its ease of reference accounts for both inter-personal and intra-personal variations in

human behaviors” (p. 1).

4. “It is dynamic and displays a progression sequence because it presents motivation as a

changing force; changing from one level of needs to the other” (p. 1).

In respect to the second question, I believe that my motivations according to the pyramid, are

dictated by tiers 1, 3, and 5, in the following way. My desire to be happy, while being a

productive citizen, cause me to vision and plan for my basic needs. This need is paramount and

constant, so my effort to have these fulfilled is constant and at a high level. In tier 3, love and
belongingness have caused me to re-engineered my open arms approach to some family

managers, friends, and acquaintances.

This is because, most persons in my social space and business environment have become,

child-like in behavior, displaying inadequate emotional quotient of intelligence, and displaying a

high propensity towards gossip, blaming, and one-up-manship. I have had to fire and/or separate

several persons. This has been good in that I now have fewer individual nuisances to contend

with and I am much happier. I hope to be successful in this course so that my intellectual credits

will add more value to my service and increase my clientele.

References:

Genç, E. & Uysal, H. T. (2017). Maslow’s Hierarchy of need in the 21st Century - The

examination of Vocational Differences. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321267309_MASLOW'S_HIERARCHY_OF_NEEDS

_IN_21ST_CENTURY_THE_EXAMINATION_OF_VOCATIONAL_DIFFERENCES/link/5ad

093470f7e9b18965d6534/download

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, PP.39-45. Retrieved from

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b0bc/c8ca45193eaf700350a8ac2ddfc09a093be8.pdf?source=pos

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Markgraf, B. (2018). How the theory of Maslow can be applied to organizational development.

Retrieved from https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/employees/motivation-employees/maslows-

theory-of-motivation-merits-and-criticisms/75363
Maslow's hierarchy of needs.svg. (n.d.). Maslow's hierarchy of needs Wikimedia, commons.

Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs.svg