Assumptions are that employees want to feel useful

Assumptions are that employees want to feel useful and important, employees
have strong social needs, more important than money, maintaining the
appearance of employee participation is important
o Human Resource Approach
 Emphasized value of employees to organization
 Assumptions are that employee contributions are important and valuable to the
employee and the organization, employees want to and are able to make
genuine contributions, management’s job is to encourage participation and
create a work environment that motivates employees
 Content Perspectives on Motivation
o Content Perspectives on Motivation is asking the question “What factors in the
workplace motivate people?”
o Need Hierarchy Approach
 People must, in a hierarchical order, satisfy five groups of needs
 Physiological needs for basic survival and biological function
 Security needs seeking a safe physical and emotional environment
 Belongingness needs for love and affection
 Esteem needs for positive self-image/self-respect and recognition and
respect from others
 Self-actualization needs for one’s potential for continued growth and
individual development
o

o
o ERG (Existence Relativeness Growth) Theory
 Needs are grouped into overlapping categories
 Existence needs – physiological and security needs
 Relatedness needs – belongingness and esteem
 Growth needs – self-esteem and self-actualization
 ERG theory assumes:
 Multiple needs can be operative at one time (unlike Maslow’s Hierarchy
of Needs)
 If a need is unsatisfied, a person will regress to a lower level need and
pursue that need
o Two-Factor Theory
 Satisfaction and dissatisfaction are influenced by two independent sets of factors
 In order for motivation to occur you need satisfaction and no dissatisfaction
 The theory assumes that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are on two
distinct continuums
 Motivational factors (work content ) are on a continuum that ranges
from satisfaction to no satisfaction
o Ex. You’re either satisfied with the work you’re doing (like
Spongebob) or you’re not satisfied with the work you’re doing
(like Squidward)
 Hygiene factors (work environment) are on a separate continuum that
ranges from dissatisfaction to no dissatisfaction
o Ex. Say you go to the bathroom. If toilet paper is there you’re
not dissatisfied, however if there’s no toilet paper you’re
dissatisfied.
 Theory says that motivation is a two-step process
 Ensuring that the hygiene factors are not deficient and not blocking
motivation