The Evolution of the Motivation Theory

As managers we can prepare our employees the best we can by articulating goals and objectives.  However, this will not do you nay good if the employee is not motivated.  If we look at what motivation is it is the forces within a person that drives direction, intensity and persistence to accomplish "voluntary" behavior.  It is no secret how important motivation is and the views on motivation have grown and developed over time much like anything else.  Below is a look back at some earlier motivational theories.

In the 1800's a concept called "scientific management" was developed by an American engineer by the name of Frederick Taylor.  The belief with this system was that the best way to accomplish a job should be determined so it can be repeated by all employees who do that job.  So this theory assumed that there was only one way to complete the job as fast as possible and therefore all employees needed to follow the same protocol.  

In the 1960's a gentleman by the name of Douglas McGregor created two theories on motivation.  First, he created Theory X, which suggests that people are prone to being lazy and cannot be trusted to work hard unless under direct supervision.  He later came of with another theory that went against his first opinion on motivation.  With this theory he called it Theory Y and it suggested under the right conditions people are are willing to work hard, accept responsibility and can be self directed to meet workplace expectations.  

Abraham Maslow suggested that people were motivated to behave in response to satisfying hierarchy of needs.

     Physiological needs 

     The need for safety and security

     The need for love and belonging

     The need for self-esteem

     The need for self-actualization 

Maslow's Theory helps explain what drives behavior however has been criticized because of the assumptions that the needs follow a specific hierarchy.   

The Expectancy Theory created by Victor Vroom of the Yale School of Management, assumes that people make conscious choices based upon expected outcomes.  These choices are impacted by knowledge, skill, experience and personality.  The intrinsic and extrinsic rewards associated with particular choices also shapes the employee's decision.

The importance of motivation has been known for a long time however it took time to find out how best to use motivation to engage and maximize their performance.  If you have selected the right person, set expectations and have created a motivating environment you will have an engaged employee who is committed to the organization.     

As managers we have to trust that our team are the right fit for their roles and that we have made expectations clear for each employee.  It is our responsibility as managers to ensure we create a motivating environment where the employee is able to align their internal drives with the expectations of the organization.