Motivation

In the search of finding out what motivates people or workers at the Organisation, or what “move” their minds into trying to achieve better goals, many theories come to hand. But, as a baby towards a lollypop, an adult needs more than that to be motivated.

Starting with Max Weber and his Protestant ethic in which people are move to work hard in order to get to salvation and Freud and his theories of the Unconscious directed to a goal, the human mind is a complex system in which its inner desires and feelings can get things done.

Adam Smith thought it well, people will move towards the interest of self earning and economic gain, but in Socialism, for example, Marx never thought that the unchallenged Working class will eventually become lazy parasites of the system with no intention of succeeding in a non challenging environment.

The seven Capital sins are:

Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Pride and Sloth or Laziness. 1

1 Available at http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-articles/The-Seven-Capital-Sins/article/252

http://instead-of-a-cigarette.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/deadlysins.jpg

Now, we can deduct easily that people try to gain as much as possible doing the least possible, therefore by simple human nature, the modern worker instead of being whipped to completion must now be motivated to achieve the corporate goals.

I never belief people who say “I work because I feel like it”, no, not at all, people work and sell their hand labour because they are going to be paid or rewarded, otherwise, there will be thousand of communist people sitting in the main square playing Domino, as in Cuba (for example), waiting for the system to do the rest.

http://www.minnpost.com/_asset/vhhh9k/mp_main_wide/Dominoes452.jpg

But one must based all of this speech on valid theories; therefore one must look at Maslow´s pyramid. Maslow´s pyramid from “A theory of Human motivation, 1943”, shows what people´s needs are, starting from the bottom at the basic needs escalating to the top of the pyramid where self actualisation is needed. But perhaps, human needs are not hierarchical but maybe ontological as a part of the human condition. Anyway, here is the pyramid which Maslow worked on...

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Also Theory X and Theory Y of McGregor come in hand to explain how and individual behave under work.

Theory X

In this theory basically, Managers agree that the worker is lazy and that must be treated severely in order to make them work.

Theory Y

In this theory, Managers agree that the worker is self motivated and ambitious and that fewer orders are to be given, because they will automatically seek responsibility on their own.

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There are many other theories about this topic, but let´s jump into asking ourselves this question proposed in class...

Is economic retribution enough to motivate employees ?

I don´t think economic retribution or wages is enough to motivate employees; the human mind is so diverse that they seek for something else. Many individuals that are driven by other needs, such as travelling or happiness, won´t work for you in a cubicle even if you offer them a huge salary.

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