MOTIVATION Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MOTIVATION - Research Paper Example Thus Motivation or Motives act as a set of psychological catalysts that contribute in converting the needs, wants and desires of an individual into effective drives to help achieve end goals and incentives. Henceforth motivation also helps an individual in effectively reducing the tension gained from the growing set of desires and wants to achieve or accomplish ends and goals (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5). The inner drive of an individual to satisfy the emerging want or need can be reflected as follows. Figure 1 (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5) Difference between Traditional and Current Approaches to Motivation Different sets of Motivation Theories have gained emergence from the traditional to the modern managerial periods. These different theories related to the Traditional and Modern context owes some specific differences that can be highlighted as follows. The Traditional Theories related to motivation focus on rendering an effective analysis of the job environment or work atmosphere of an indiv idual and the different types of rewards needed to enhance the performance levels of the employees. Here rewards act as intrinsic motivators to help an individual generate the needed drive to achieve the end goal. On the contrary the Current Approaches to Motivation rely mainly on three types of theories like Content, Process and Reinforcement that contribute in shaping the motivational behavior of an individual to achieve the end goals. Identification and Description of Content Theories of Motivation based on Employee Needs The Content Theories of Motivation tend to operate based on a premise that certain factors are responsible in creating an inner drive in an individual to generate a desire to achieve end goals and thereby satiate the gamut of needs and wants emergent in one’s psychological level. Thus through the use of Content Theories the managers tend to gain an understanding of the factors that tend to drive or kindle the energy in an individual to achieve desired end s. Content Theories being related to the unsatisfied needs or wants of an individual is also referred to as Needs Theory (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.5). Identification and Explanation of Process Theories of Motivation The Process theories of Motivation relate to the Cognitive elements used by an individual to decide on the behavioral process or attributes needed to specifically fulfill a desired set of objectives or accomplish the goals set. Herein the person needs to effectively evaluate whether the factor choices for motivation are resultant or effective to achieve end objectives. Thus herein motivation depends on factors like the attributes of the goals set to achieve, secondly in whether equitable access is existent in helping an individual gain the required opportunities in achieving desired ends and finally in whether one possesses the required level of potency in helping to raise the expectation for meeting end goals. Significant Process Theories relate to Expectancy, Equity, Satisf action-Performance, Goal-Setting and Reinforcement (Bowkowski, 2011, Ch.6). Description of Reinforcement Theory of Employee Motivation The Reinforcement Theory of Motivation works mainly along four parameters: Positive and Negative Reinforcements and Punishment and Extinction. Positive and Negative Reinforcement criteria generally focus on motivating an individual’s performance through the generation of rewards and also