Employee Motivation - Key Concepts

The overall force that drives individuals to act in certain ways.

The intensity of energy that starts a behavior.

The specific choice of behavior that is made when motivated.

The persistence of effort in pursuing a goal even when faced with obstacles.

A physiological or psychological deficiency that arises when there is a gap between your current state and your desired state.

The internal state where an individual feels the 'push' to satisfy their need and close the gap.

When a need is fulfilled, it leads to a reduction in tension and a feeling of satisfaction.

Motivated employees are valuable assets to any organization because they are more engaged and productive.

The process where unmet needs create a sense of tension, leading to a desire to reduce that tension by seeking behaviors to fulfill those needs.

The act of actively searching for and engaging in behaviors that address unmet needs and reduce tension.

Motivation that originates from external sources such as rewards, praise, or recognition.

Motivation that stems from internal sources such as personal enjoyment, interest, or challenge.

Reduced employee turnover, absenteeism, and work accidents are signs of a motivated workforce.

Motivated employees foster healthier relationships with colleagues, leading to a more positive work environment.

Motivated employees are more likely to go above and beyond in their work, leading to improved customer service and satisfaction.

A motivational theory that suggests people are motivated by a hierarchy of needs beginning with basic physiological needs like food and water, then safety and security needs, social needs, esteem needs, and finally self-actualization needs.

This theory proposes that job satisfaction comes from "motivator" factors (achievement, recognition, growth) while dissatisfaction arises from "hygiene" factors (salary, working conditions, company policies).

This theory suggests that managers hold two contrasting sets of beliefs about employees: Theory X (employees are inherently lazy and need strict supervision) and Theory Y (employees are motivated and responsible, and want to contribute).

This theory suggests that people are motivated by the belief that their effort will lead to desired outcomes and that these outcomes are valuable.

This theory suggests that employees are motivated to maintain fairness in their work relationships. They compare their inputs and outputs to others, and adjust their effort accordingly.

This model identifies five core job characteristics (skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, feedback) that can contribute to job satisfaction and motivation.

Maslow's theory suggests that satisfying lower-level needs like safety and security, creates a foundation for higher-level needs like esteem and self-actualization to emerge.

Employees' participation in goal setting contributes to greater goal acceptance and increased commitment to achieving them.

The Job Characteristics Model (JCM) is a framework for understanding and improving employee motivation by adjusting the characteristics of their work.

Skill variety refers to the extent to which a job requires diverse activities, skills, and talents.

Task identity reflects the degree to which a job involves completing a whole, identifiable piece of work with a visible outcome.

Task significance describes the impact of a job on others or society as a whole.

Autonomy refers to the degree of freedom, independence, and discretion an employee has in completing their work.

Feedback refers to the degree to which employees receive direct and clear information about their work performance.

Appropriate feedback and rewards are crucial for directing employee behavior, leading to increased motivation and performance.

Managers who believe employees are inherently lazy and need strict control to perform well. They assume employees dislike work, avoid responsibility, and lack ambition.

Managers who believe employees are intrinsically motivated and capable of self-direction. They assume employees enjoy work, seek responsibility, and are ambitious.

A theory that states people are motivated by the expected outcome of their actions. It considers factors like effort-performance, performance-reward, and rewards-personal goals relationships.

The belief that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to a desired performance. It's about the individual's perception of their ability to perform.

The belief that performing at a particular level will lead to the attainment of a desired outcome. It's about the perceived link between performance and rewards.

The degree to which the rewards of an organization satisfy an individual’s personal goals or needs. It's about how valuable the rewards are to the individual.

A motivational theory that suggests specific, challenging goals contribute to better task performance. These goals should be moderately difficult to achieve, but still attainable.

A work arrangement that provides employees with greater freedom to perform their duties and work obligations.

Employees work extra hours in exchange for a day off.

Employees can customize their work schedules within set core hours.

Two part-time employees share one full-time job.

Long periods of work followed by long periods of paid time off.

Workers gradually return to work after a life event by working part-time for a set period before returning to full-time.

Work is performed from home during some days of the week.

A way to structure work that involves assigning a wide range of tasks to an employee to increase interest and reduce monotony.