Employee Motivational Theories and Their Applications in Modern Organizations

This guide discuss major employee motivational theories. In addition, it also highlights the limitations of earlier theories and the evolution of modern motivational theories. As well, this guide also discuss how a manager can use these theories to motivate staff.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow is a humanistic psychologist developed a theory of personality, which is valuable in the field of employee motivation. Basically they believe humans strive for upper-level capabilities such as creativity and highest level of consciousness.
In his view, humans have five needs and if one need is satisfied they go to the next and motivated by unmet needs in stages. In an employee motivational perspective, applying this theory, managers must identify the unmet needs of employees to motivate them. The five needs are, physiological needs such as food, water shelter, clothing etc. They are the strongest needs because if a person is deprived of all needs the psychological ones comes first in search of satisfaction.
When psychological needs are satisfied for a person, the needs of safety become active. If the psychological needs are satisfied it no longer affects the thoughts and behaviour of humans. When the needs for safety and psychological needs are satisfied a person moves to the next need of love, affection and belongingness.
When the first three needs are satisfied, then they move to the next level of needs for self-esteem such as firmly based high-level self respect and respect from others. If these are satisfied, a person feels self-confident and valuable. When the previous four needs are satisfied the person moves to the highest need of self-actualization. That is the need, which is to do what ever the person is born to do.
In Summary, Maslow's Hierarchy of needs in the perspective of employee motivation is to identify the satisfied needs and provide opportunities to meet the unmet needs to motivate the employees. The major weaknesses of the need theory; is the non-recognition of individual differences and ignoring other factors. For example the work itself can motivate employees.

Theory X and Theory Y

Theory X and Theory Y is about Human nature like the Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
The Theory X assumes, humans are in average dislike work and avoid responsibility and must be controlled and threatened to work hard. As well, it assumes people that they don't like responsibility and desires security above all. They must be directed so that they work towards organizational goals.
These assumptions are at play behind most organization, which pursues tight control, and punishment or they prefer harmony at work and ignore more higher order needs as specified by Maslow's hierarchy of needs so that the employees behave as Theory X expected. Theory X must be used very carefully in modern organizational environment because it may be counterproductive and may reduce motivation of employees. Contrast to Theory X, Theory Y assumes people use mental and physical effort in work as natural as play.
As well, it assumes that people will direct themselves if they are committed to the goals of the organization. Under proper conditions, average person not only accepts responsibility, but also seeks responsibility. In addition, it assumes imagination, creativity; ingenuity can be used to solve work problems by a large number of employees.
Theory Y also assumes, that in modern industrial life intellectual potential of average man is partially utilized. In the context of employee motivation, if subordinates are not in agreement with the manager of the desired results then the only way for the manager is to use his authority to get the work done using the Theory X assumption. However, if the employees are emotionally mature, agrees with desired results, work is sufficiently responsible and flexible and the employee can see his position in the organizational hierarchy, then in these conditions participative approach to problem solving leads to much improved results applying the Theory Y.
As well, in situations, where the employees agree and commit to the objectives of the organization, then explaining the matter fully to the employees the purpose of action and allow them to self-direct them, they may use better methods and do a better work than simply carrying out an order from the manager. Theory Y is more appropriate in this situation.

Hertszberg's Motivation and Hygiene Theory

In this theory, there are two sets of needs. They are basic needs and motivational needs. The basic needs can be working conditions, supervision, company policy and administration, salary and interpersonal relationship. These needs if not met, then employees will be dissatisfied, but not motivate them. That is, if the manager wants to stop the employees doing something, then they must consider hygiene needs. However, if they want to get someone to do something, then they must consider motivational needs. In this theory, the motivational needs are achievement and recognition, work variety, responsibility and advancement.

Expectancy and Contingency Theories

According to expectancy theory, people behaviour at work and their goals are not simple. The employee performance at work is based on individual factors such as personality, skill, knowledge, experience, and abilities. The theory suggests even if the individuals have different sets of goals, they can be motivated if they believe their effort leads to performance and performance results in desirable reward.
As well, the reward satisfies an important need. Then the desire to satisfy the need is strong to make the effort maximize benefits and minimize pain. In this context, the managers must identify what an individual's value is, such as money, promotion, time-off, benefits or satisfaction rewards. They are called valence.
As well, employees have different expectations and confidence about what they are capable of doing. In this respect, managers must identify what resources, training, and supervision employee's need. They are called expectancy. In addition, employees may perceive as whether they will receive what they desire. In this regard management must ensure their promises of rewards are fulfilled and that employees are aware of these rewards. The employee perception of reward is called instrumentality. In this manner a manger can apply the expectancy theory to motivate employees.
Contingency theories of employee motivation recognize leadership and its relevance in different organizational situations and in the context of the profile of workers and type of jobs they do and match the leadership to situation or change situation to leadership style to manage workers and motivate them.
In addition, contingency theories also recognizes the organizational structural issues, such as centralization opposed to decentralization, span of control, delegation, levels of management, decision -making process, which suits the external and internal environment and the static and dynamic nature of the internal and external environment.
As well, the contingency theory considers organizational culture, individual differences, conflict level and the recognition of these variables to motivate staff. That is, motivation of employees must differ from one organization to the next, depending on the nature of activities, profile of human potential, personality, skill, knowledge, experience, organizational culture, technology, nature of external and internal environment, planning horizons, individual differences, structure of organization, group behaviour and dynamics.