¾ emphasized importance of needs to motivation

¾
Emphasized importance of needs to motivation.
• Weaknesses of Maslow’s Theory
¾
All levels of need are not always present.
¾
Ordering or importance of needs is not always the
same.
¾
Cultural differences can impact the ordering and
salience of needs.
Content Perspectives… (cont’d)
• The ERG Theory (Aldefer)
¾
Needs are grouped into overlapping categories:
Existence needs—physiological and security needs.
Relatedness needs
Growth needs—self-esteem and self-actualization.
¾
ERG theory assumes that:
Multiple needs can be operative at one time (there is no
absolute hierarchy of needs).
If a need is unsatisfied, a person will regress to a lower-
level need and pursue that need (frustration-regression).
Content Perspectives… (cont’d)
• The Two-Factor Theory (Herzberg)
¾
Satisfaction and dissatisfaction are influenced
by two independent sets of factors.
¾ 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.
Hygiene factors (work environment) are on a separate
continuum that ranges from dissatisfaction to no dissatisfaction.
¾
Theory posits that motivation is a two-step process
Ensuring that the hygiene factors are not deficient and not
blocking motivation.

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Content Perspectives on Motivation (cont’d)
• Individual Human Needs (McClelland)
¾
The need for achievement
The desire to accomplish a goal or task more effectively
than in the past.
¾
The need for affiliation
¾
The need for power
The desire to be influential in a group and to be in control
of one’s environment.
Motivation Process Perspectives
• Process Perspectives
¾
Approaches to motivation that focus on:
Search for behavioral options and alternatives
Choice of behavioral options to satisfy needs
Rewards and evaluation of satisfaction after goals are
attained.
Motivation Process Perspectives (cont’d)
• Expectancy Theory
¾ Motivation depends on how much we want something
and how likely we are to get it.
¾
Assumes that:
Personal and environmental forces determine behavior
People make decisions about their behavior in organizations.
People have different types of needs, desires, and goals.
People choose among alternatives of behaviors in selecting one
that that leads to a desired outcome.
Motivation leads to effort that, when combined with ability and
environmental factors, results in performance which leads to
outcomes having value (valence) to employees.

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Elements of Expectancy Theory
• Effort-to-Performance Expectancy
¾
Employee’s perception of the probability that effort will lead
to a high level of performance.
• Performance-to-Outcome Expectancy
¾ Employee’s perception of the probability that performance
will lead to a specific outcome—the consequence or
reward for behaviors in an organizational setting.