Theories Of Motivation In The Workplace

The term “motivation” is often utilized interchangeably with the word “drive” when considering an individual’s work performance. According to Robbins and Judge (2009), motivation refers to the “processes that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal” (p. 175). There are multiple external factors that may influence an individual’s work performance. Understanding individual motivation will promote financial stability within an organization while fostering cohesiveness amongst coworkers. Herein this discussion, motivation in the workplace will be summarized with additional research related to the goal-setting theory and the self-efficacy theory.

Motivation in the Workplace Within an organization, teams are developed in order to achieve a common goal. Multiple factors contribute to the success of a team, including context, team composition, work design, and team processes (Group behavior and work teams, n.d.). One aspect that ought to be further researched and discussed involves employee motivation and attitude within these group settings. A lack of motivation amongst team members may result in reluctant participation,

Self-efficacy allows an individual to push past barriers with an air of confidence (Bumann & Younkin, 2012). According to Robbins and Judge (2009), individuals with low self-efficacy may give up more easily as opposed to other individuals with higher self-efficacy. Although the self-efficacy and goal-setting theories may seem to contradict one another, research has indicated a rise in self confidence amongst individuals of whom lofty goals were set and expected (Robbins & Judge, 2009). In order for individuals to remain motivated, leadership must continually set achievable goals in order to instill confidence throughout the