Theories on Motivation

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Recommended: Motivatinal theory and cultural differences

Introduction:

Motivation can be defined as the inner power or drive that pushes one towards taking a particular course of action. It is much related to desire and ambition and they all work in tandem (Sasson, 2001). Motivation is influenced or caused by factors known as motivators. According to Sigmund Freud, we are compelled to act by unconscious forces within us, which he called our id (Hofstede, 1980).

Motivators are either intrinsic (from within) or extrinsic (from without). Intrinsic motivational factors refer to motivators that come from within an individual. They are not influenced by external factors. This kind of motivation comes about as a result of self actualisation or fulfilling one’s personal goals. Malone and Lepper (1987) define intrinsic motivation simply as ‘the things people will do without external inducements’. Intrinsic motivation positively affects behaviour, performance and well being (Ryan and Deci, 2000).

Extrinsic motivators on the other hand refer to the external factors or rewards that influence motivation, for instance, financial rewards, coercion or threat of punishment. Deci (1971) finds that extrinsic motivators generally tend to override intrinsic motivators. Furthermore, Bateman and Crant (2003) in their work on ‘Revisiting intrinsic and extrinsic motivation’ find that the widely held belief that extrinsic rewards undermine intrinsic rewards could not be disproven. However, their research method fails to support this view. This implies that both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards operate or motivate individuals in different ways and that individuals get motivated differently.

Theories on Motivation:

Several theories have been developed on human motivation. This secti...

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...ncertainty and to follow rather than lead.

Conclusion:

There is no gainsaying in the fact that motivating factors influence individuals differently across different cultures. Even within same cultures, differences still exist in the factors that motivate individuals. However controversial the whole idea of motivation may seem, it remains clear that intrinsic motivating factors have a bearing on extrinsic factors and that motivating factors invariably affect each other. For any theories on motivation to be applied on a global scale, consideration must be given to the different cultural value systems in play (Hofstede (1980) and Jelavic and Ogilvie (2010). Not much work has been completed on examining how motivation factors operate in different cultural or ethnic settings, despite the compelling evidence that the principles ought to be applied differently.

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