Instinct, Arousal And The Humanistic Theory: The Essentials Of Organizational Behavior

Motivation is the reason one behaves or act in a certain way. This behavior can be found animals to humans. It is the basis in which we choose to take action and what course of action we that is. Our actions are goal orientated, but motivation is gives us the persistence of effort towards that goal The underlying driving forces that creates such motivation can be but not limited to biological, social, emotional or cognitive. In most instances, three key elements are linked to motivation. We need a direction to which our efforts are aimed and the intensity and persistence to overcome obstacles to achieve our goal. Psychologist and researchers have expanded the topic to develop different theoretical explanations behind motivation. Most theories fall in five categories which are Instinct, Incentive, Drive, Arousal and the Humanistic Theory. In the text, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, Authors Robbins and Judge focus on four of the early theories. They are the Hierarchy on Needs Theory, Theory X and Theory Y, Two-Factor Theory and McClelland’s Theory of Needs. The Hierarchy on Needs Theory written in 1943 by Abraham Maslow is one of the most popular and enduring influences to modern psychology. Maslow belief is that humans have requirements that are “instinctoid”. The word instinctoid describes an innate instinct seen in many other animals. The way we react to this instinct is what lead Maslow to develop the Hierarchy on Needs Theory.

Abraham Harold Maslow was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 1st 1908 to Samuel and Rose Maslow. He was the first of seven children. Maslow’s parents were Russian Jewish immigrants. Maslow was the only Jew in his neighborhood and spent the majority of his childhood alone and alienated. “I was ...

... middle of paper ...

...d Self-actualization. Although most commonly this hierarchy is displayed as a pyramid, Maslow himself did not ever use a pyramids to describe this hierarchy in any of his writings. In the pyramid diagram the bottom, wider levels are comprised of the most basic needs and represent those thing needed to complete a human’s equilibrium and well-being such as food, water and warmth. The more advanced needs are at the top, located at the narrow tip of the pyramid. When the lower needs are achieved, people can move on to the next level. When secondary levels have been achieved the individual may move on to the next, continuing this pattern until reaching the higher needs. Finally, there are those who go beyond the range of their basic needs and work towards a constant elevation. Maslow used the word “Metamotivation” for those who fall into that final criteria. (Maslow)